Number of transfer students on the rise, report says

The number of transfer students across the university system has climbed in the last five years, and its demographics are changing, according to statistics presented at a Board of Regents committee meeting.

The report shows the number of Maryland students transferring from community colleges to four-year, state schools has climbed 16 percent over the last five years. Last year, almost 18,000 students transferred to one of the USM institutions. Roughly half of those students came from an in-state community college.

The five-year increase includes a 31 percent rise in the number of black transfer students and 19 percent increase in the number of Hispanic transfer students, though the study also shows smaller percentages of black transfer students enroll full-time than the total Maryland transfer-student population.

The study found shifts in the geographic regions students are from, as well.

Four of the 16 two-year public colleges have supplied more than two-thirds of Maryland transfer students to USM institutions in fiscal year 2008: Montgomery College, Baltimore County Community College, Anne Arundel Community College and Prince George's Community College.

However, the report also shows Howard and Harford community colleges are producing more transfer students than in past years.

"Howard and Harford are now coming into the game," Gayle Fink, the systems director of institutional research, said, adding the results mean the university system may need to re-evaluate how it recruits at both of those community colleges.

The study also shows less than half of transfer students who entered the USM system in fiscal year 2005 graduated within four years, as more students are entering four-year institutions as juniors.

Financial reasons and not being prepared for a four-year institution are the two main reasons students are taking longer to graduate, said Baltimore County Regent Mike Gill.

The study also found a large age difference between transfer students and new, incoming freshmen. The average age of a transfer student is 26, while the average incoming freshmen is 19.

While almost 60 percent of transfer students were 20 to 24 years old, Gill said some adult students typically attend University of Maryland University College, so the age difference of transfer students doesn't tend to be a problem.

Less students are also transferring with undeclared majors. Between fiscal year 2004 and fiscal year 2008, the number of undeclared majors decreased by 21 percent.

"We continue to have a lot of transfer students," Gill said. "It was all very encouraging. I give the state of transfers in the university system a solid B."

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